LATEST statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that smoke-free environments in Zimbabwe are moderately between 30% and 50% of all public spaces.
BY TINOTENDA MUNYUKWI
This is contained in the latest WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, launched on Thursday and seeks to monitor tobacco use and prevention policies across the globe.
The report ranks Zimbabwe in the moderate region of smoke free zones of three to five out of ten citing availability and levels of adherence to smoke free policies as a possible reason for this.
Also cited is the total daily cigarette prevalence rate among the youth with the country indicating a 11, 3% for males and an 8, 9% for females.
According to the report, the adult daily smoking prevalence across the country is 12%.
Smoking is highly discouraged by health experts as it accounts for high percentages of mortalities from lung cancer and coronary heart disease.
In adhering to global ratifications that curb tobacco smoking including the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to which the country is signatory to, the report acknowledges an increase in the price of cigarettes across the country.
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“Price increased above tax increases, leading to a decrease in tax, for example in Zimbabwe. Cigarettes are less affordable per capita GDP needed to buy 2000 cigarettes of the most sold brand between 2008-2016,” reads the report.
